Draft gear



Jan. 27, 1942. E. P. KINNE ETAL 2,271,030

DRAFT GEAR Filed Nov; 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 27, 1942. E. P. KINNE ETAL 2,271,030

' DRAFT GEAR Filed Nov. 9, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYQ.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 27,1942

E. P KINNE' TAL DRAFT GEAR Filed Nov. 9, 1938 5 Sheets s 3 [721/ Eanuuzd Pig k/ K ATT EY.

Jan. 27, 1942. KINNE g- 2,271,080

DRAFT GEAR Filed Nov. 9, 1958 I s Sheets-Sheet 4 v Fi 2a m JJ 4' ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE \2,271, 080 I i Y I I DRAFT GEAR v Edmund P. Kinne and Frank H. Kayler, Alliance,

Ohio, assignors to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of- New Jersey Application November 9, 1938,.seriai No. 239,637

. 16 Claims. (C

" the longer axis of its diameter and as indicated Our invention relates to a draft mechanism for a railway car and more particularly to a friction absorbing device commonly designated ,a draft gear of the so-called barrel type, comprisin a housing inclosing a spring, said housing being flared at the open end to accommodatewhat is usually described as a clutch mechanism.

An. object of our invention is to devise such a draft gear capable of developing a relatively large .frictional absorbin capacity within the gear travel permitted by the present A. A. R. standards.

Still another object of our invention is to design a gear wherein the various parts will not require great refinement of manufacture but will be of relatively simple design, not requiring great accuracy in the fitting parts. Our invention also contemplates a gear comprising relatively few parts, as, for example, only two friction shoes whereas commonly a larger number is employed.

A still further object is to design a novel form of two-shoe friction absorbing device wherein one of said shoes will have fiat face engagement with the follower wedge and the other a V-shaped face engagement therewith.

Our invention also comprehends a two-shoe friction absorbing device of the barrel clutch type wherein each of said shoes will have on its inner face a flat surface and a V-shaped surface, the surfaces of the respective shoes being alternately arranged in respect to each other.

Yet another object of our invention is to design such a gear as that above described wherein the outer follower wedge will have one fiat shoe engaging face and another V-shaped shoe engaging face, and wherein also the spring cap or inner follower wedge will likewise have one fiat shoe engaging face and another V-shaped shoe engaging face, the flat and V-shaped faces of said follower wedges being alternately arranged with respect to each other. Still another object of our invention is to design a modification of the above described gear wherein each shoe may comprise a plurality of parts, said parts being divided along the V-shaped surfaces already described.

engagingfaces between the followers and the by the line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a transverse'sectional view through the open end of the gear, the section being taken substantially at the open end of the housing and in the'plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the parts of the clutch, said parts being separated slightly for the sake of clarity;

I Figure- 4 represents a section through the V- shaped engaging faces of the shoes and wedges, said sectionbelng taken substantially as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the plane shoes, the section being taken substantially in theplane' as indicated by the line 55 of Fig ure 1; s

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the housing,one-half in section, the section being taken substantially in .the plane bisect'in the housing longitudinally and as indicated by the line 6-6 of Fi ure 8;

Figure 7 is a sectional View through one-half of the housing in the plane at right angles to the sectional view shown in Figure 6 and substantially'asindicatedby the line l-'| of Figure 8;

Figure 8 is a half end elevation, partly in section, the section being taken transversely of the gear at thebeginnjing of the flared open end and substantially in-the plane indicated by the line 8--8 of Figure 7;

. Figure 9 is a plan View of the external face of the outer follower wedge; Figure 10 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 11 is a side elevation taken ninety degrees from that shown in Figure 10; and Figure 12 is, a sectional view through the V-shaped shoe engaging face of said outer follower, the section being taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line l2-l2 of Figure A further object of our invention is a novel 4 type of draft gear which will meet all present day standard requirements and will be singularly free from sticking and otherwise smooth in its closing and releasing movements under normal operating conditions.

' Figure 1 is a sectional view through our novel form of gear, the section being taken in the horizontal plane substantially bisecting the gear on Figure13 is a similar sectional view through the plane shoe engaging face at the opposite end of theouter follower and substantially in the plane indicated bythe line l3--I3 of Figure 10.

Figure 14 is a plan View of the shoe engaging face of the inner wedge follower; Figures 15 and 16 areside elevations viewed at right angles to each other; i Figures 17 and 18 are sectional views throug the shoe engaging surfaces of the internal wedge follower, the sections being taken substantially in the planes as indicated byvthe lines Il-ll and 18- -18 ofFigure 15;- r I Figure 19 is a plan view of one of the friction shoes, the view being taken from the inner face thereof;

Figure 20 is an end elevation of the shoe shown in Figure 19; and Figure 21 is a sectional view substantially bisecting said shoe in the plane as indicated by the line 2l2l of Figure 20;

Figure 22 is a sectional view through the V- shaped follower engaging surface of the shoe shown in Figures 19, 20 and 21, the section being taken substantially in the planes indicated by the line 22--22 of Figure 21;

Figure 23 is a plan view of the outer face of the other friction shoe; Figure 24 is an end elevation thereof; and Figure 25 is a sectional view substantially in the plane bisecting said shoe and as indicated by the line 25-25 of Figure 24;

Figure 26 is a sectional view through the V- shaped follower engaging surface of the shoe shown in Figures 23, 24 and 25, the section being taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line 26-26 of Figure 25;

Figure 2'7 is a fragmentary sectional view through a modified form of our novel gear, the view corresponding in general to that shown in Figure 1 with the section taken in the plane substantially bisecting the gear on the longer axis of its diameter as indicated by the line 21-2| of Figure 28; s

Figure 28 is a transverse sectional View through the modification shown in Figure 27, the section being taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line 28-28 of Figure 27; and I Figure 29 is a sectional view through the engaging faces of the shoes and wedges, the section being taken substantially in either of the planes indicated by the line 29-29 of Figur 27.

Describing our novel gear structure in greater detail and with particular reference to Figures 1 to 8, the housing 2 is an integral casting of barrel-like structure, shown in detail in Figures 6 to 8, having the base 4 and the side walls 5, fluted as at 6, 6 to form buttress-like structures merging with the base at the outer edge thereof and gradually sloping therefrom to approximately the mid-point of the walls 5 in the general form of the structure described in greater detail in a co-pending application on a draft gear housing filed in the name of William C. Hedgcock on June 24, 1936, and bearing Serial No. 86,901. The side walls 5 have adjacent the base 4 a plurality of openings 8, 8 permittingdrainage and the escape of extraneous matter. On the inner faces of the side walls are formed the longitudinal guide ribs l0, ID, the inner faces of which are parallel as indicated at I2, l2. Centrally formed on the base 4 is the pocket M, the inner wall I6 of which serves as seating means for the head of the bolt l8, said bolt projecting through posed V-shaped flaring friction faces indicated at 22, 22 against which may be seated the opposed friction shoes 24 and 26, the shoe 24 having V-shaped face engagement at its inner edge as at 28 with the spring cap Wedge 30 and the shoe 26 having fiat face engagement as at 32 with said spring cap wedge. Said spring cap wedge 36 is of cup-like formation presenting at its inner edge an annular fiat surface serving to seat as at 34 the large outer compression spring 36, the opposite end of which. is seated as at 38 against the base 4 and positioned thereon by the walls of the before-mentioned pocket l4. The inner wall l6 of the pocket l4 serves as seating means as at 40 for the inner compression spring 42, the opposite end of which is seated as at 44 within the cup-like spring cap Wedge. The outer wedge face of the shoe 24 abuts the follower wedge 46 along a flat surface as indicated at 48 and at the opposite side of the gear the shoe 26 abuts said follower along a V-shaped surface as at 49. The follower wedge 46 is also a cuplike structure presenting as at 50 a flat annular outer face for the abutment of the usual standard follower and comprising a central cavity 52 serving to house the nut 54 having threaded engagement on the end of the retaining bolt Hi. Th follower wedge 46 and the spring cap follower wedge 30 have aligned central openings 56 and 58 respectively, receiving the thimble 60 widened at its outer end as at 62 for tapered engagement with the follower wedge 46 as at 63, said thimble 60 having the central opening 64 flaring from its mid-point toward each end as best seen in the view of Figure 1, said opening receiving the before-mentioned retaining bolt [8.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the character of the V-shaped face engagement as at 49 between the outer or follower wedge 46 and the shoe 26. The V-shaped face engagement at 28 between th other shoe 24 and the inner spring cap follower wedge is of similar form and character. Figure 5 shows the character of the fiat face e g gement at 48 between the outer follower Wedge '45 and the shoe 24. The character of the diametrically opposite flat face engagement at 32 between the shoe 26 and the inner spring cap wedge follower 3|] is similar in form and character to that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 3 is a somewhat perspective view showing the relative positions of the shoes and wedges with'the parts spaced in a manner to show more clearly their various structures. As previously described, the shoe 24 has a plane or fiat friction face'at 66 for engagement with the opposed flat face 68 on the wedge follower 46. Likewise the inwardly directed flat face In of the friction shoe 26 has a flat or plane surfacefor engagement with the opposed flat surface 12 on the inner face of the spring cap wedg follower 30. These flat surfaces are diametrically opposed in the clutch mechanism generally indicated in Figure 3. A wedge-shaped friction face is formed at 14 on. the otherside of the spring cap wedge follower 30 for engagement withthe opposed V- shaped surface I6 on the friction shoe 24, and diametrically opposite these surfaces I4 and 16 are the reversed wedge-shaped, surfaces 18, on the wedge follower 46. and the V-shaped surface on the opposite shoe 26. It will. be understood that these V-shaped friction surfaces on the shoes and wedges are of complementary form.

The detail of the housing 2 is shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8 wherein it may be seen that the side walls 5 flare outwardly from about their mid-point in flute-like formations 6, 6 toward the four corners of the base 4, buttressing the structure as more particularly described in the before-mentioned Hedgcock application, Serial No. 86,901, Draft gear housing. Adjoining the base 4 at the corners thereof are the abutments 80, 80 serving to increase the seating area against the sills otherwise formed by the'edge of the base 4. Likewise, adjacent the open end of the housing are formed the abutments 82, 82 serv ing a like purpose.

Figures 9 to 13 show the detail of the follower wedge 46, a cup-like structure, the various portions of which have heretofore been referred to. Th general plan and configuration of this follower wedge conforms to the inner contour of the open end of the housing as best seen from the top plan view of Figure 9 in comparison with the sectional view of Figure 2.

Figures 14 to 18 inclusive show the detail structure of the spring cap wedge follower likewise of general cup-like formation with a circular perimeter defined by the outer flange 04 and comprising the substantially annular walls 86 tapering slightly outwardly of the gear as best seen in the sectional view of Figure 1. The outer face of this spring cap wedge follower presents the wedge-shaped friction surface 14 and the flat friction face 12 as above described.

Figures 19 to 22 inclusive show the detail of the side wedge or friction shoe 24, portions of which have already been described. It may be noted that'the friction shoe 24 is a generally V-shaped body of metal with the thickened central portion 88 presenting the fiat face 66 and the wedge-shaped friction surface 00 having engagement with the complementary v-shaped friction surface 22 at the open end of the housing. At the inner end of the friction shoe 24 is a V- shaped flange 92 inwardly of which is formed the -V-shaped face 16 having engagement with the wedge face 14 of the spring cap follower wedge as already described. At its central portion theshoe 24 is relieved as at 94 to accommodate the.

thimble 60.

The opposed friction shoe 26 is shown in detail in Figures 23 to 26 inclusive. It will be observed that the shoe comprises a solid block of metal of general configuration similar to that of the before-mentioned friction shoe 24 except that the V-shap-ed friction surface is at the outer end of the friction shoe 26 whereas it is at the inner end of the shoe 24. The shoe 26 has the relatively heavy central body portion 96 relieved centrally thereof as at 90 for a purpose similar to that described for the opposed shoe and presenting toward the open end of the gear the V- shaped friction face 80 already described, and presenting inwardly of the gear the fiat face 10. The back of the shoe presents the principal friction'absorbing surface I00 of generally wedgelike form complementary in shape to the V- .shaped friction face 22 of the housing. At the inner edge of the shoe 26 is formed the V-shaped flange or wall L In the modification shown in Figures 27, 28 and 29 the structure as a whole is generally similar to that of the first modification except as hereafter described. The housing 202 is identical with the housing previously described, having the flaring open end with the V-shaped friction surfaces 204, 204 at opposite sides thereof. Like the first modification the structure of, Figure 27 has the large outer compression spring 205, the relatively small inner compression spring 201 and the retaining bolt and nut assembly 209. Against the opposed faces of each V-shaped friction surface 204 may be seated a pair of friction shoes 206 and 200, the positions of said shoes being alternated at the opposite sides of the gear as best seen from a consideration of Figure 28. In other words, the shoes 208, 208 at the opposite sides of the housing are interchangeable and diam'etrically opposed to each other within. the housing as are likewise the shoes 206, 206. The spring cap wedge follower 2I0 is generally similar to that described in the first modification except that it presents two wedge surfaces for engagement with the shoes at the opposite sides of the gear instead of one wedge surface and one flat surface. Thewedge surface at each side of the spring cap wedge follower thus comprises two fiat faces, one of which engages the shoe 208 as at 212 and the other of which engages the adjacent shoe 206. At the opposite side of the gear the spring cap wedge follower abuts the shoe 206 as at 2 l4 and on the other face of the wedge surface abuts the adjacent shoe 208. The manner in which these parts abut each other is similar to the manner in which the shoes are seated against the follower wedge 2l6 which is best seen from a consideration of the sectional views of Figures 28 and 29. It may seem that the wedge follower 216 is symmetrical at the opposite sides thereof, presenting wedge surfaces each comprising two fiat faces, said flat faces having abutment as at 2I8 against the shoe 206 (Figure 28) and as at 220 against the shoe 208 and likewise at the opposite side of the gear has abutment as at 222 against the diametrically opposite shoe 206 and has abutment as at 224 against the other shoe 200. The shoes 206 and 208 abut each other as at 226 and 228 in a plane substantially bisecting the gear longitudinally on its long diameter. These abutting surfaces are relieved at their outer edges by the radii 230 and 232 and at their inner edges as at 234 and 236, thus permitting the shoes to rub against each other without gouging.

The spring cap wedge follower 2I0 and the outer wedge follower 2I6 are retained in alignment by the thimble 238 which is sleeved upon the bolt 209 in a manner identical to that described in the first modification.

It is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In a friction absorbing device, a housing having a flaring open end, V-shaped friction surfaces at opposite sides of said flaring end, a compression spring, a pair of diametrically opposed friction shoes seated against said friction faces and having surfaces complementary therewith, inner and outer followers having aligned central openings, aligning means therefor, and a retaining bolt, each of said followers abutting said shoes along surfaces diagonally arranged with respect to the axis of said device, one of said diagonally arranged surfaces at each side of said gear being in the form of a fiat plane and the other of said diagonally arranged surfaces on said side being of wedge-like formation, said wedge-like formation occurring at the outer end of one shoe and at the inner end of the other shoe,

2. In a friction absorbing device, a barrel-like housing having an open end with two flaring V- shaped sides, said flaring sides having friction surfaces on their inner faces, friction shoe seated against said friction surfaces, a compression spring, and inner and outer-follower wedges having diagonal face engagement at the opposite ends of said shoes, aligned openings centrally formed in said wedges, aligning means in said openings in the'form of a thimble having an annular flange engaging said outer follower, and a retaining bolt engaging said housing at one end and said aligning means at its opposite end, the engagement between each of said followers and said shoes being in the form of a flat face and a wedge shaped face respectively, said wedge shaped face occurring at the outer end of one shoe and at the inner end of the opposite shoe.

3. In a friction absorbing device, a barrel-like housing having an open end with two flaring V-shaped sides, said flaring sides having friction surfaces on their inner faces, friction shoes seated against said friction surfaces, a compression spring, and inner and outer follower wedges having diagonal face engagement at the opposite ends of said shoes, aligning means extending through said wedges and having an annular flange in engagement with said outer wedge, and a retaining -bolt engaging said housing at one end and said aligning means at the opposite end, the engagement between each of said shoes and the respective wedges being in the form of a flat surface at one end of said shoe and a V-shaped channel at the opposite end, one of said shoes having said V-shaped channel at its outer end and other of said shoes at its inner end.

4. In a friction absorbing device, a housing having a flaring open end, V-shaped friction surfaces at the opposite sides of said flaring end, a compression spring, a pair of diametrically opposed friction shoes seated against said friction faces and having surfaces complementary therewith, inner and outer followers having aligned central openings, aligning means extending through said openings, and a retaining bolt, one of said friction shoes having fiat face engagement with said outer follower and wedge face engagement with said inner follower, and the other of said friction shoes having flat face engagement with said inner follower and wedge shaped face engagement with said outer follower.

5. In a friction absorbing device, a barrel-like housing having an open end with two flaring V -shaped sides, said flaring sides having friction surfaces on their inner faces, friction shoes seated against said friction surfaces, a compression spring, and inner and outer follower wedges having'diagonal face engagement at the opposite ends of said shoes, aligning means extending through said wedges and having an annular flange in engagement with said outer Wedge, and a retaining bolt engaging said housing at one end and said aligning means at the opposite end, the engagement between each of said followers and the respective shoes being in the form of a flat face and a wedge shaped face with said flat face at the outer end of one shoe and said wedge shaped face at the outer end of another shoe.

6. In a friction absorbing device, a housing having a flaring open end, V-shaped friction surfaces at the opposite sides of said flaring end, a compression spring, a pair of opposed friction shoes seated against said friction faces and having surfaces complementary therewith, inner and outer followers having aligned central openings, aligning means extending through said openings, and a retaining bolt, each of said friction shoes having flat face engagement with one of said followers and wedge shaped face engagement with the other of said followers with said wedge shaped face at the inner end of one shoe and at the outer end of an opposed shoe.

7. In a friction absorbing device, a housing having a flaringopen'end, V-shaped friction surfaces at the opposite sides of said flaring end, a compression spring, a'pair of opposed friction shoes seated against said friction faces and having surfaces complementary therewith, inner and outer followers having aligned central openings, aligning means therefor, and a retaining bolt, each of said followers having fiat face engagement with one of said. shoes and wedge shaped face engagement with the other of said shoes, said flat and wedge shaped faces occurring at opposite ends of said shoes respectively.

8. In a friction absorbing device, a housing of general barrel-like form having an open end with two parallel sides and two flaring sides, opposed friction shoes having wedge face engagement with said flaring sides respectively, said shoes being free of engagement with said parallel sides, a compression spring, a spring cap wedge engaging said shoes'inwardly of said housing, and a follower Wedge engaging said shoes outwardly of said housing, each of said shoes having flat face engagement with one of said wedges and wedge shaped face engagement with the other of said wedges with said flat faces formed at opposite ends of opposed shoes.

9. In a friction absorbing device, a housing of general barrel-like form having an open end with two parallel sides and two flaring sides, opposed friction shoes having wedge face engagement with said flaring sides respectively, said shoes being free of engagement with said parallel sides, a compression spring, a spring cap wedge engaging said shoes inwardly of said housing, and a follower wedge engaging said shoes outwardly of said housing, each of said wedges having flat face engagement with one of said shoes and wedge shaped face engagement with the other thereof, said flat face occurring at the outer end of one shoe and at the inner end of the opposed shoe.

10. A clutch mechanism for a friction absorbing device comprising opposed friction shoes and opposed inner and outer follower wedges, each of said friction shoes having flat face engagement with one of said follower wedges and wedge shaped face engagement with theother thereof, and aligning means extending through said follower wedges with an annular flange in coneshaped engagement with one of said wedges, said Wedge shaped face engagement occurring at the outer end of one shoe and at the inner end of the opposed shoe.

11. A clutch mechanism for a friction absorbing device comprising opposed friction shoes and opposed inner and outer follower wedges, each of said friction shoes having flat face engagement with one of said follower wedges and Wedge shaped face engagement with the other thereof, said fiat face occurring at the outer end of one friction shoe and at the inner end of the opposed shoe.

12. A clutch mechanism for a friction absorbing device comprising opposed friction shoes and opposed inner and outer follower wedges, each of' said follower wedges having fiat face engagement with one of said shoes and wedge shaped face engagement with the other, said flat and wedge shaped faces respectively being formed at opposite ends of respective shoes.

13. In a draft gear of barrel type, a clutch mechanism comprising inner and outer wedge followers, aligning means therefor, and diametrically opposed friction shoes having V-shaped face engagement at opposite sides of said barrel, each of said shoes having diagonal flat face engagement with one of said followers and diagonal V-shaped face engagement with the other of said followers, said flat faces occurring at opposite ends of opposite shoes.

14. In a draft gear of barrel type, a clutch mechanism comprising inner and outer wedge followers, aligning means therefor, and diametrically opposed friction shoes having V-shaped face engagement at opposite sides of said barrel, each of said shoes having diagonal flat face engagement with one of said followers and diagonal V-shaped face engagement with the other of said followers, said V-shaped faces being formed at opposite ends of opposed shoes.

15. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism,

the combination with a friction casing having a pair of adjacent interior, laterally inwardly diverging friction surfaces extending lengthwise of the casing; of a pair of adjacent friction shoes having interengaged fulcrum portions thereon mounting said shoes for rocking adjustment with respect to each other about axes extending lengthwise of the casing, said shoes having respectively sliding engagement with said friction surfaces; means for forcing said shoes against said friction surfaces and sliding same lengthwise thereof; and means yieldingly opposing relative sliding movement of said shoes and casing.

, 16. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction column member having a pair of adjacent, laterally diverging friction surfaces extending lengthwise of said column member; of a pair of adjacent friction shoes having interengaged fulcrum portions thereon, mounting said shoes for rocking adjustment with respect to each other about axes extending lengthwise of said column member, said shoes having respectively sliding engagement with said friction surfaces lengthwise of said column member; a wedge pressure transmitting member having a pair of wedge faces, said wedge faces being angularly arranged with respect to each other, each shoe having a wedge face on the inner side thereof, said wedge faces of the shoes respectively engaging the wedge faces of said wedge pressure transmitting member; and means yieldingly opposing relative sliding movement of said shoes and column member.

EDMUND P. KINNE.

FRANK H, KAYLER. 

